Man strangled partner – court

A MAN strangled his partner and kicked her down a flight of stairs in a series of vicious domestic attacks, one of which happened in front of their son.

- CONOR GOGARTY Investigations editor [e-mail]

Keiron Hatton subjected the mother of his two children to coercive, controlling behaviour, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

The 31-year-old, of Neath Port Talbot, was abusive in four incidents, which took place in Maesteg between January and June 2023. In the first incident, Hatton and the victim had been out socialising with separate groups of friends.

"She could not find him, so she started walking home alone," said prosecutor Alice Sykes.

By the time he got home, Hatton was enraged. He followed the victim into the bedroom, slapped her and pulled the bed cover over her.

"You strangled her to the point her lips tingled and she felt her eyes would pop out of her head," Judge Richard Kember told the defendant.

Ms Sykes said an attack the following month saw Hatton punch the victim "numerous" times to the back of the head and once to the stomach, as well as kicking her down the stairs.